Molecular gastronomy, also known as molecular cuisine, is a relatively new entry in the world of avant-garde cuisine. The spherification technique that is the hallmark of molecular gastronomy is thought to have been popularized in 2003 by Ferran Adria, legendary chef of El Bulli restaurant. Chef Adria prepares a variety of edible spheroids using intriguing combinations of flavors. Molecular mixology is a related term that is used for concocting beverages with edible spheroids that at the present time are served exclusively in very high-end establishments. The spheroids or edible pearls are produced by gelling a prepared liquid formed into a sphere. By gelling we describe a process wherein the membrane of the sphere increases in thickness from the outside in.
The appeal of the edible spheroids (edible pearls) is such that consumers, after having experienced the unique gastronomical treats as patrons of innovative restaurants and bars, order manual kits for making the pearls themselves. The kits employ syringes and provide a method to produce the pearls by hand. The downside to the kits is that one is limited in the amount of pearls one can make with the manual, syringe-based kits. The state of the art for spherification kits is that they are very labor intensive and time-consuming, yielding a small number of edible pearls per “batch.” In addition, it takes a large amount of time and skill to mix the powders/reagents necessary for the spherification reaction at the precise/correct proportions using these syringe-based kits.
Furthermore, the conventional method of preparation requires lab equipment and ingredients not typically found in a bar or restaurant. The manual preparation method requires a number of cumbersome steps, including the accurate and precise mixing of various powders. Another disadvantage of the existing manual method is that the prepared pearls are of uneven size and thickness, which can lead to a decrease in consumer appeal. The kit's manual method of preparing the pearls requires that the preparer have a certain minimum skill level that requires training.
There is a need for an automated method of making edible pearls that overcomes the above-stated shortcomings of the known art.